The 2011 Pre-season draft

Return here for live updates from the 2011 pre-seaon and rookie drafts, commencing at 11am EST.

Magpie dual All-Australian Leon Davis former Coleman medallist Brendan Fevola and former Essendon middfielder Andrew Lovett have failed to gain a new home in the 2011 pre-seaon and rookie drafts. Former Richmond and Western Bulldogs coach Terry Wallace called the failure of clubs to pick up Davis, who was outstanding last year for Collingwood as "quite bizarre".

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AFL pre-season, rookie drafts

Scott Spits and Emma Quayle take a look at the last of the 2011 AFL drafts.

Former Magpie fringe midfielder John McCarthy was nabbed by Port Adelaide ahead of his apparently preferred Richmond, after Power chose not to select former North Melbourne utility Gavin Urquhart. Urquhart ended up back at Arden Streeet after eventually being picked up by North Melbourne with selection 77.

Melbourne’s nuggety Addam Maric seemed unlucky to lose his place with the Demons after some encouraging senior performances in 2011, and excellent form in the VFL. He recorded 31 possessions against Adelaide in round seven, and showed a capacity to act as an aggressive defensive small forward, twice booting three goals in his nine 2011 games. Maric is seasoned, having made his debut in 2008, but played only 21 matches in four season with Melbourne. He should be a good pick-up for the Tigers.

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Hawthorn again bolstered its ruck division with its first pick. Broc McCauley, a burly, competitive 24-year-old ruckman, is a good replacement for the traded Brent Renouf. McCauley had 36 hit-out and 18 possessions in round five against St Kilda, when taking on first ruck duties when Matthew Leuenberger played as a key forward. The only question mark on the raw-boned big man will be why the Lions, lacking ruck depth, were willing to part with him.

Melbourne's pick 59, Leigh Williams, was plucked from suburban footy. he had plied his wares for Norwood in the Eastern Football league and had never played at TAC Cup or VFL level. The only similar player picked up last year was Melbourne's Daniel Nicholson, who was picked up from amateir club University Blues after playing for his school side.

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However, the Demons shunned dual Liston-Trophy winner Shane Valenti, the Port Melbourne VFL midfield star whom many had tipped to the Demons to pursue. Former Magpie and Docker Paul Medhurst was also ignored despite nominating two years after his retirement.

Former Saint utility Andrew McQualter, who played 89 games in six seasons with St Kilda, has been drafted by gold Coast, apparently to act as a mentor in the club’s reserves team. Undoubtedly, his services could also be called upon by the seniors if injuries hit the young Suns.

Strongly built midfielder Darren Pfeiffer, 24, played seven games for Carlton in 2008, after previously being on the Adelaide list without playing a game. He was the 1111th player to appear for the Blues. He was delisted at the end of 2009, played in Queensland and in South Australia for Norwood. He trained alongside fellow 24-year-old Nick Lower, formerly of North Melbourne, during Port Adelaide’s pre-season, and was one of four players vying for a rookie slot with the Power.

Shane Valenti, dual Liston Trophy winner, was expected to be drafted from Port Melbourne, but was disappointed once more. Photo: Ken Irwin

Midfielder Nick Heyne, 20, who played three games for St Kilda in 2010, was given another chance by Carlton, with pick 32.

Michael Coad, 27, hired by Gold Coast as a mature-bodied tall defender, then surprisingly delisted after suffering a severe injury just two games into his AFL career. Now he is back in the fold after the Suns nabbed the South Australian with pick 38.

Sam Menegola, a former Hawthorn rookie from East Fremantle yet to make his debut, returned home when recruited with pick 44.

Indigenous speedster Malcolm Lynch, impressive with VFL premiers Port Melbourne in 2011, last played AFL in 2007, when he managed two games for the Western Bulldogs. Now 23, the forward/midfielder will ply his trade with North Melbourne, adding to their complement of pacy small forwards in Matthew Campbell and Lindsay Thomas.

West Coast took a punt on talented, but injury-afflicted former Magpie forward Brad Dick with pick 68.

Terry Wallace applauded the recruitment of Box Hill VFL gun Sam Gibson, who he noted had 42 touches and booted six goals in a game last year.

Fomre North Melbourne and Hawthorn forward Nathan Thompson told SEN that the Western Bulldogs should be praised for "going out on a limb" to pick promising tall forward Jack Redpath. Thompson said Redpath's return from two knee reconstructions was a "fairytale pick-up from way in left-field" and the rookie draft should be used more often to take such educated risks. "He's a big aggressive guy with a lot of upside," Thompson said of the former Bendigo and Kyneton prospect.

All 18 clubs were linked using Microsoft Live Meeting technology, enabling them to lodge their selections from their home state or club base, with the AFL Football Operations Department running the Drafts from the AFL offices.